Beverly Lunsford

Beverly Lunsford
Photo of Art Carney and Beverly Lunsford from the Broadway play The Rope Dancers
Born
Beverly Jane Lunsford

(1945-01-05)January 5, 1945
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died (aged 74)
Canton, Georgia, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1954–1969
Notable workThe Intruder Leave It to Beaver

Beverly Lunsford (January 5, 1945 – May 22, 2019) was an American actress best known for playing Shirley Fletcher on the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver.[1][2]

Early life

Lunsford was born in Atlanta, Georgia.[3]

Career

Lunsford's early career encompassed several stage performances as well as television and movies. She first appeared at the age of 12 in the 1957 Broadway production of The Rope Dancers, starring Siobhán McKenna and Art Carney.[4] Lunsford's big-screen work started soon after. She appeared in several anthology dramas, then progressed to guest-starring roles on television series such as National Velvet, My Three Sons, and Leave It to Beaver. She temporarily played the part of Amy Ames Britton Kincaid on the CBS soap opera The Secret Storm, during which she filled in for the main star, Jada Rowland.[5] She had previously appeared on The Edge of Night.

Lunsford's starring role came in 1961 when she played in Roger Corman's topical drama The Intruder.[6] The film dealt with race relations in the American South in the wake of the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling in 1954.[citation needed]

In 1963, Lunsford was cast in Herbert L. Strock's horror film The Crawling Hand.[7] Lunsford made her last screen appearance in 1969, although she still attended various public celebrity-oriented events until her death in 2019.[citation needed]

Filmography

Year Title Role
1957 That Night! Betsy Bowden
1962 The Intruder Ella McDaniel
1963 The Crawling Hand Patsy Townsen
1968 Jennie: Wife/Child Jennie Pekingpraw

Television

Year Title Role
1956 Robert Montgomery Presents Mark Pendel
1955–1958 United States Steel Hour Sylvia/Allison
1960–1961 National Velvet Marilyn Winters in "The Riding Mistress" (with Roger Mobley)
1962 Leave It to Beaver Shirley Fletcher
1969 My Three Sons Betty Crawford

References

  1. ^ Lunsford, Beverly. "Wally's License". IMDb. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  2. ^ "Obituary for Beverly Jane Lunsford at Cagle Funeral Home".
  3. ^ Lunsford, Beverly (2014). "Lunsford's early career". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  4. ^ Lunsford, Beverly. "Lunsford stars in The Rope Dancers". PlayBill Vault. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Lunsford, Beverly. "Lunsford in The Secret Storm". AngelFire. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  6. ^ Lunsford, Beverly (September 25, 2007). "Lunsford stars in The Intruder". Amazon. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  7. ^ Lunsford, Beverly. "Lunsford stars in The Crawling Hand". B Movie Central. Retrieved July 27, 2014.